The present invention relates to display devices with a plurality of light-emitting diodes arranged in a row. The present invention also relates to a method for making such display devices. The present applicant has proposed a technology for this type of display device in Japanese utility model number 3020888.
In the prior art technology, straight-line arrays of light-emitting diodes are connected by a flexible substrate. Thus, with this device, the shape of the display device may be altered freely, making it possible to create a variety of light-emitting diode patterns. Even when the shape of the display device is changed, the risk of breakage in the internal wiring connecting the light-emitting diodes is minimal due to the flexibility of the substrate.
However, the circuit pattern on this flexible substrate was never designed for surface mounting of the light-emitting diodes. Production of this display device requires each of the leads from the light-emitting diodes to be manually soldered to the electrodes on the flexible substrate. This makes it difficult to mass produce these devices.